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18 PORTLAND OBSERVER Wednesday March 11 2015 OBSERVER SPORT JASON BARBIN THUNDER defeated Untouchables on Thursday night in one of the most electrifying Portland Touch Association division one grand finals ever seen. Thunder went into the game undefeated and were favourites going into the game, but that meant nothing as the whistle sounded and Untouchables went on the offensive early in the game. UNTOUCHABLES’ Michael Vom stops to receive the ball during Thursday’s division one grand final. Picture: ELLY HATELEY 150305eh11 Fakari Rugs get respect after grand final win JASON BARBIN FAKARI Rugs took home the division two Portland Touch Association premiership after an inspiring win over No Respect at Henty Park on Thursday night. Both sides were full of confidence leading into the match but it would be Fakari Rugs which took control of the game early. With both sides looking to get the upper hand, Fakari Rugs was able to score first and maintain control of the game. Fakari Rugs co-captain Roger Middleton said their aim was to try and control possession of the ball early and pile on the pressure. “We were lucky to get a couple of touchdowns in early, and that sort of kept the pressure off us and kept the pressure on No Respect,” Middleton said. Fakari Rugs succeeded in controlling the tempo of the game early and defended well when they didn’t have possession. Middleton said defence was a big focus point for them going into the game. “Make the ground and then defend the ground,” he said. With outstanding defensive pressure, Fakari Rugs were able to take a 5-1 lead going into the second half as Damien King and Middleton both scored touchdowns. No Respect’s Wayne Edwards complimented Fakari Rugs on their first half play. “They got us in the first half,” Edwards said. The game was much closer in the second half as No Respect stepped up the pressure on both ends of the pitch. Michael Carr scored early while Chase Daly and Rebecca Blanch were proving to be troublesome player for Fakari Rugs to defend. But Fakari was able to withstand the pressure and score a few touchdowns of their own through King and Michael Matthews and in the end were able to hold on for a 9-5 victory. Middleton said it was a team effort. “No one really stood out; everyone in the team did their bit. “It was pretty hard to single out one or two individuals because the whole team performed really well on the night.” Edwards was full of praise for his team’s second half efforts. “We were much better in the second half. The game was played in good spirits.” Michael Carr was the leading touchdown scorer for No Respect with two while Middleton and Matthews had two each for Fakari Rugs. Damien King was named best on ground for the match for his three touchdowns. Despite their patchy form throughout the season, Middleton said he was happy with how well the team performed for the majority of the season. “It was a bit of a rebuilding year for us, we had about four or five new players, brand new players who had never played the game before.” After getting the new players up to speed on their structures, Middleton said he hoped the players would return again for another crack next season. “Touch is a pretty social game. When it’s played in the right spirit it’s a very enjoyable game.” Pat Mahon from Untouchables said that his team stuck to their game plan and it worked well for them early, scoring the first two touchdowns of the game through himself and Sean Fulton. “We ran our set plays and tried to follow them through. We did score the first try,” Mahon said. Thunder’s Robbie Biadacz agreed that Untouchables had a really good start to the game. “They put us on the back foot a little bit, jumping out of the blocks quickly,” Biadacz said. Thunder were able to peg the lead back when Dean Jones and Sarah Malseed scored their first touchdowns of the game. When Sharlie Trigg scored a touchdown in the corner to put Thunder up 3-2, it sparked the rest of her teammates into action. Thunder went on to score five more touchdowns in the latter stages of the first half, giving them an 8-5 lead at half-time. Dean Jones did most of the damage for Thunder, scoring three touchdowns while Pat Mahon and Michael Vom were the better players for Untouchables. With his team needing to score early to get back into the game, Mahon lifted his intensity in the second half, scoring early while also playing a part in two more touchdowns as Untouchables worked their way back into the game to level the www.spec.com.au EMAIL: dean.millard@observer.net.au spec.com.au Thunder sparked to win score. But in a carbon copy of the first half, Thunder managed to withstand the early pressure from Untouchables before going on the offensive themselves. Biadacz stamped his presence on the game, scoring two second half touchdowns to lead his team to a memorable victory. Though they were outscored in the second half, Thunder was able to finish strong and hold on for a 12-10 win. Biadacz and Sarah Malseed scored three touchdowns each for the winning side while Jones was named best on ground after scoring four touchdowns. Pat Mahon was among the best for Untouchables, scoring four touchdowns of his own, while Michael Vom and Sean Fulton scored three and two touchdowns respectively. Despite the loss, Mahon was stoked with his team’s performance throughout the season and praised his players for their hard work. “I was really happy with the performance this year. We had a lot of players who had never played before who will only get better.” Biadacz also praised the Untouchables side and said they were really competitive all season. “It was a really good game. They were the second-best team all year.” With his side going through the season undefeated, Biadacz was quick to commend his players for their play throughout the season. “Erin and Jorja Roll played well all season and Jake Hawker really came along. Dean Jones is the best going around. “It was a really good season and it was great to see the majority of players playing every week. To go undefeated was pretty good.” THE 2014-15 season awards winners were announced on Thursday night following the grand finals. The awards went to: And the awards go to… (Untouchables). Most touchdowns male: Best and fairest male: Michael Toohey (MMHC). Best and fairest female: Cecilia Eichler Michael Toohey (MMHC) with 40. Most touchdowns female: Steph Arnott (MMHC) with 20. Paul Beattie ‘Spirit of Touch’ Award: Neil McLean. MICHAEL Carr looks to score for No Respect. Picture: JOSH NASH 150226jn017 THUNDER finished the Portland Touch Association division one season undefeated after winning the grand final 12-10 over Untouchables. Picture: ELLY HATELEY 150305eh26